The DA has offered a detailed alternative approach when calling for an end to the ANC’s hard national lockdown.
The DA said their aim has been to save lives and livelihoods by proposing solutions that strike a balance between Covid-19 and other risks to society, and which are implementable and sustainable over at least a two-year period.
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“Our position is drawn from and aligned with expert opinion. So it’s not surprising that the government’s own medical advisers are now criticising the hard lockdown as unscientific and nonsensical,” said DA.
They added that if their position has confused Richard Calland and Mike Law, that may be because their proposals have evolved over the past eight weeks.
It changes with circumstances and as new knowledge comes available. And because they are nuanced.
”Our current position is that the hard lockdown is no longer rational and should be replaced with targeted interventions such as protecting high-risk individuals, sanitising, masks and physical distancing where possible,” said DA.
They added ideally, these should be complemented by a “smart lockdown” approach smart testing to identify and contain local hotspots.
The party said government has squandered SA’s early-mover opportunity to execute a “smart lockdown”.
“With our slow test turnaround times and the virus now widespread, the window for doing so is virtually closed, except in the Western Cape. But to the extent that it may still be possible, the DA advocates pursuing this strategy,” they said.
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ANC politicians are retaining it to save face, rather than lives, and to save their own jobs rather than everyone else’s.
They will naturally on the side of caution, since Covid deaths will be counted and notched up as deaths on their watch, whereas lockdown deaths will go uncounted and unattributed.
“SA needs to get back to work, jettison the ANC, and reform our economy swiftly, to start building for the benefit of everyone, especially those who have been excluded the longest,” said Federal Party.
